Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-11
TecAN,cALuTlES OF TIE STAGE.
A Stage Carpenter Talks of the Nomeu
riatmr. Of Sta.., Setting.

A Stage Carpenter Talks of the Nomen-
cisture Of Stage setting.
1T sometimes happens that an actor or
an aCtrc> has tu 20 into strange theatre.
interview the master CaTpentcr. and tell
him how the stage should he set for the
play in which he or she appears As Il
rule, in five minutes rleir ignorance i
displayed The terms are simple enough
and very little experience would make
any one familiar with tn, IN.
Take lle stage itself An ordinary
stock hid has three center traps.
These are NTangcd i'll the middle of the
stage. one opposite each entrance, as the
spaces between the wings are called. Then
there are two quarter traps small
square apertureS ou the extreme right and
left: and two or three sinks. which are
the long. narrow hinged traps stretching
across the stage and intended for the rails
ing or lowering nf scenes. The stage is
covered with cloths. divided into the
green baize. the carpet and the ground
cloth or canvas painted to represent
grass. or tile pavement, or what
not. The wings. IL which
have referred. are the narrow scenes at
the side of the stage, one projecting III
advance of the other. They are classified
as wood wings garden wings, 'archi
tectural wings and water wings, the lat
ter consisting of sea scenes representing
inst sky and water. The rormentors
are the wings placed close to the proscen-
ium arch. which form a sort of a frame To
the picture behind. Borders are strips
of painted canvas hanging horizontally
over the stage and matching the wings.
There are sky borders, foliage borders. =
dTapery bnr,iers, anu arch borders, the
latter hcing a. the name implies. cut ont
i'll the form of an arch to give apparent
COnCaviJy To the sky.
Scenes are divided into flats which
are run ON from each side nf the stage,
meeting in the middle; 'backings, which
are seen through doorways or window
openings, and drops which are simpl.
painted canvas hung ON a roller Then the =
are set pieces, which are small portions
of Il scene diSposed about the stage. such
as set rocks iu the form Of bluff or
large bowlder: tail rocks II piece slant
ing down 10 nothing and representing
small rocks and foliage. and ground rows,
showing grass or low, creeping foliage.
'Cut woods are scenes showing trees and
shrubs. and cut out So rs 10 show the
drop or backing behind. Set trees
are single trees cut ont of fiat canvas, or
i'll some cases built up to represent a
natural tree trunk. SET waters are
strips painted to represent waves. The
constructive part of the stage includes the
stage proper; the flies which are the
galleries at the sides above the stage from
which the scenery is worked; the rigging
loft. which iS above the flies; and the
bridge. which runs across the hack Of
the stage. The grooves are the guides
in which the flats and wings run, while
the paint frame is generally placed at the
back of the stage and consists Of bridge
in front of which the scene to he painted
is raised or lowered by pulleys.
As 10 lights they include "foOtlights,
the border lights, which are rows Of gas
jets overhead. the bunch lights collec-
ton of burners mounted on a movable
stand 81 as TO lie readily moved about,
ground lights, placed just clear of the
stage. and strip lights, or movable gas
gets, intended to be hung on hooks at any
desirable height and easily stripped or
taken down. Thesa are only few of the
technical terms in use behind the scenes.
but they include, think, the more i'm
pnrtant definitions. Stage Carpenter
Gossman in New York Tribune.